Erika Sanada

The texture of their skin appears almost human, as blank white eyes stare out from their loneliness and suffering (though certainly not all of her creations are tortured; some are simply keeping each other company in serene, mutual strangeness).

From the artist statement:My work reflects the weird and the creepy; I am fascinated with the dark side. “Odd Things” is my current body of work and I use ceramic for making bizarre creatures. They have extra body parts such as multiple arms, legs, teeth and ears. These are how I express my sensitive mind. There are two reasons I create misshapen and abnormal work. One is my bitter childhood and the second is my constant anxieties.

I have had an anxious personality since I was a child. I worry about everything, even tiny things. Anxiety drags my mind to the dark side, which is more powerful and intense than my bright side. Sometimes I can’t move forward because I am emotionally paralyzed. I decided to go face-to-face with my anxieties by creating irregular and eerie creatures representing my dark side. As a result, these creatures show my twisted mind as I try to overcome anxiety through my creation.

While I hate to hear of a fellow human being struggling with anxiety, creativity can be an intensely positive channel. Amazing work, Erica!